Wolf Cub
by SpaceWolfWarrior
Summary: Years have passed. Wolf O'Donnell is now a father, living a new life with his family. But what will he do when something happens to his son?
1. The Family

**Wolf Cub**

**Chapter 1 - The Family**

"And the pirate was slain by the female pilot," I spoke calmly to a little grey cub who made a yawn. I could see from his eyes that it wouldn't take long before he would fall asleep. I should finish the story before he slumbered. "She hit him to the chest, and the pirate knew he was down under her feet. Her words captured his heart, and soon it was a pair that no one ever imagined... The end... Well... I hope you're ready for tomorrow."

The little cub smiled at me. "Yup, I am! But Uncle Leon and Uncle Panther and Juan will be there too, right?"

"Yeah, they will be there."

"Cool! Umm... Good night, dad. Tell mom 'good night' too."

"Night, pup," I replied softly. When he had rested himself on his pillow, I pulled up his blanket to cover him, stroke the fluff of his hair, and kissed him to the cheek. I closed his night lamp and shut his door. I then walked down to the stairs and headed to the living room, opening up the monitor.

After flipping the remote repeatedly, I heard a hover-car parking at the driveway. Finally, she returned home. The door opened, and a light-pink-furred rabbit entered. "Hey! Sorry I'm late. Too many student papers and some late submissions got in the way. You shouldn't have to wait for me."

"It's all right. I won't sleep without you beside me in bed now would I?" I told her as I approached her. I gave her a kiss and she gave me one. "He's already asleep and well... he is quite ready for tomorrow. Quite excited, to be exact." She didn't reply until we climbed up the stairs and entered our room.

"Still having thoughts about him going to kindergarten?" she asked while dressing into her sleeping gown. "Wolf, I thought we had already talked about this. He is already five years old. I think it's time for him to begin education."

I put on my white shirt and sleeping pajamas and answered, "I know that it's for his own good... It's just that... well... I spent most of the time with him around the house. It's just hard for me to adjust. I'll miss him playing at the lawn or at the living room..." I lay myself on the mattress, in which she also followed. "But yeah, I guess I'll deal with it."

"Well, well, this isn't really the Wolf I used to know," she giggled, poking my nose. "Normally you'd like being alone." She was right - I used to like being alone to clear my thoughts.

"That was until I married you and had our little pup," I told her. She really did change me. And our son permanently made me a different person. I looked at her before kissing her. "In any case, Leon will pick them up tomorrow and drop them off to school by eight. Will's awake by then."

"Oh, by the way, I hope you didn't teach your son on beating up people."

"Huh? What do you mean by that? I told him to fight back only when it's necessary... Although by the looks of it, he wouldn't be doing any fighting!" I laughed.

"Wolf!" she exclaimed. "I just said that because I heard that he is going to be classmates with Marcus McCloud."

"I see... Well, I haven't told him how I don't pretty much get along with Fox," I assured her, "and I have no plans of involving him to that. He's his own person." The rivalry after all, just involved me and Fox, not our sons.

"That's good to hear." She turned off the night lamp and said, "Good night, Wolf."

"Night, Lucy."

It was really a bit hard for me to adjust, really. Once a wolf had become more acquainted with his companions, he would have a hard time parting with them. Pack mates, after all. It took me a while to get used to it since I was able get over the idea that Star Wolf would technically stop their activities. Panther became a family of his own with his adopted son, Juan. Leon, still single, preferred to be a sly bouncer for some club, but still kept in touch with us. When I had married Lucy, I knew it would be a different life for me. And when Will came to our lives, I knew that it would be a fresh new journey for the once called Star Wolf.

I woke up the moment the alarm blared off. Still lying on the bed, I decided not to wake up my wife, but then I recalled her becoming a hyper when she woke up fifteen minutes late, complaining that she should had woke up earlier, so I might as well wake her.

"Morning, Lucy. What do you want for breakfast?"

"Mmm... Wolf...?"

"You want me for breakfast?" I chuckled. "Will's gonna be up an hour later and you're gonna go to work soon, so we better prepare." I nibbled her ears so that she would snap out, but she seemed to be a bit groggy.

"Oh Wolf... Oh... wait... It's...?"

"Seven."

"Oh dear!" She quickly popped out from bed and headed to the bathroom. As expected, she was a bit of a time-conscious person.

An hour and a half had passed and we were all in the dining room. I had cooked pancakes for everyone, with some bacon for meat. I looked at Will - I was still not used at him all dressed up for school. I better get used to though. Five days a week. Oh, and Lucy was ready to leave.

"All right, Will, you know what to do okay? Behave at school. Make new friends. Have fun!" Lucy told to the cub as she kissed her to the forehead. "And you... stay out of trouble mister!" I grinned as I kissed her to the lips. "See you later at dinner, boys!" She took the hover-car and left the house. Will and I were left at the dinner table, looking at each other intently.

"Dad... Could you still show me what you looked like with your eyepatch?!" the little cub asked while pouring syrup onto his pancake while chewing bacon. I really wanted to show it to him, but I realized that my old eyepatch wasn't around. It was probably back up in the room, but I knew Leon would arrive any minute now so I decided not to get it for now.

"Not today, pup. Maybe next time," I smiled back while rubbing his curled hair. I wiped off the syrup mess off of his muzzle. "Now, when you eat at school, you better not mess yourself, okay?"

"Yes sir!" he replied with a smile. I would be missing that smile.

A horn was heard from outside. "Looks like it's them. Come, pup, let's get you to school." I picked up his small bag and walked with him until we reached the front yard. We saw Leon driving a hover-van with Panther and the smaller black panther - his adopted son Juan, who was waving at Will.

"Ready to go, eh?" Leon asked as Panther opened the door for us.

"Yup, we're ready Uncle Leon!" my son replied back enthusiastically. I soon found him being occupied with Juan, who was showing him the panther's packed food.

"Juan, don't open your lunch box until it's recess," Panther told him, making the little feline blush and smile. "So... how did you handle this?"

"Huh?"

"I know it took you a while before you fully agreed to send your kid to school. I know I did," he told me. It looked like we both faced the same minor dilemmas. "I was afraid to let of him, but I realized that Juan needs education for his own growth."

"Yeah," I replied. "It's still hard to let go though. I'm used at him being around the house when I am not around. At least you won't worry about him when you're at work. You don't have to bring him to Krystal's. She already has a child to worry about after all."

"It seems so."

"Aww... dad, does this mean I won't be able to see Star Fox again?" Juan suddenly meowed. "It's fun there."

As Panther tried to reason out with his son, my pup simply looked confused. I hadn't really made him interact with any of the Star Fox crew. Granted, he knew about them, but the only time Star Fox had seen him was when he was only 1 year old. Maybe this kindergarten would be his first time?

"All right, we're here."

Leon stopped the hover-van. The little panther and wolf jumped out quite quickly and dashed into the small building. Panther and I carried their bags and handed them to the two.

"Be good, Little Juan! Papa's gonna be waiting for you tonight!" Panther said to his young cub, while rubbing their cheeks. Juan hugged him before going inside.

"And you too, pup! Show them what you got!" I kissed my son's forehead. I saw him nod with a big smile before entering the building as well.

We both walked into the van. "There they go..."

Leon simply chuckled, "Well, it seems like it's not just the kids who are growing up."


	2. The Plot

**Wolf Cub**

(Forgive me for having multiple PoV's in this chapter. The sequence should be Wolf-Will-Wolf-Will etc.)

**Chapter 2 - The Plot**

The city park was a good place to walk around. I had Leon drop me there. He had to go to work, as well as Panther, so it just left me alone with nothing to do. I sat at a bench in front of a large lake, wondering what my life would have been if I hadn't stopped becoming a mercenary.

I saw a kid and his parents enjoying their picnic. I had a thought - if I continued my life as a person who wondered in the dangerous frontiers of space, I would be risking my life. I might not be able to return back to my family breathing. I dreaded the thought of my son not having a father. It had occurred to me, and it even had occurred to Fox. I wanted my child to live a better life instead of the dangerous life of a risk-taker. I idea of my son not enjoying his life to the fullest would destroy me. That reason alone convinced me not to tell him about my past. Not about Star Fox. Not about anything about my conflicted past life.

I threw a stone at the lake. I wondered if my son, as well as Panther's, would be treated well in school.

* * *

Juan and I rushed into our classroom. We were quite excited! I wanted to make new friends and meet new people! "Over there!" Juan pointed out. "The one with the blue fox! I know him! His name is Marcus! He was a nice playmate back when papa would leave me for work to Mrs. McCloud's place!" Oh, he knew him? That's good!

I followed him and seated beside him. The blue fox was on his other side. I didn't know what to say to this Marcus fellow. I just looked at Juan, who seemed to be excited to introduce us to each other.

"Marcus!" he suddenly spoke out. "I want you to meet my friend! His name is Will!" He then looked at me. "Will, this is Marcus!"

"Hello, Will!" the fox greeted me. He was a nice guy after all, judging by the way he spoke. I couldn't wait to play with him!

"Hi, Marcus!" I greeted back. "We're lucky that we're classmates! Juan knows you a lot!"

"Yeah, we play a lot when Mr. Caroso leaves him to us before going to work," he quickly answered.

"Although I guess I won't be coming over next time," Juan told him. I could feel his disappointment from the way he talked. "Papa said his work ends earlier than our school time, so he will pick me up. He said that he won't be dropping me off to your place anymore."

"Aww... Well... we could ask our parents to take us to the park during weekends!" I told them. That idea just popped up to my head. I wanted to play with Marcus too! "I think they wouldn't mind, right?"

"Hey... Good idea!"

The teacher came in though. We had to stop talking. We were like little angels. She introduced herself, "Good morning, class! I am your teacher, Miss Alexandria." Ooh, that sounded like a nice name. Her voice was also sweet! "Now, now... Since it's your first time in school, I want you all to come forward and tell your name!" Oh! Oh! I couldn't wait for my turn!

Those at the rows in front of us did what she said, one by one. Lemme see... Rudy... Jack... Philip... Charlie... Sam... so many names to remember! I would just recall them once I get to play with them later at recess!

It was soon Marcus's turn. "My name is Marcus McCloud," he said while at the front, a bit shy. He then walked back to our table. My classmates made some sounds. I heard them say stuff like 'Oohs!' and 'Aahs!' Hmm... I didn't know why everybody was making that noise though. "Don't mind them, Will," he whispered at me.

"Well, that's because Marcus is the son of Fox McCloud!" Juan proclaimed as he stood up. Ooh... Fox McCloud!

"You mean Star Fox?! Cool!" I whispered back at Marcus. "You must be popular!"

"Well... You could say that," he replied with a rather... low tone? He didn't seem to like it. "We should listen to Juan." Yeah, I might as well not bother him about him.

"_¡Hola!_ My name is Juan Esteban Caroso!" he introduced himself while grabbing a rose and bowing. He really liked to show off his flower... I wondered why. Some of my classmates laughed, but some made some whispering. I could hear them. When he returned, I told him about it. "Don't worry about it. You should go in front now."

"Oh... okay."

I pulled all of my courage within me. I told my dad before that I wouldn't be shy in front of many people. "My name is Will O'Donnell!" I proclaimed. I think I overdid it... I heard some of my classmates whispering again. Was it because I... was too overconfident? I walked back to my seat and asked the two, "Why were they whispering?"

"I dunno... but you really overdid it!" Juan laughed while gently hitting me at the back.

I glanced a bit at Marcus, who seemed like he wanted to say something. "Something the matter?"

"Oh... It's nothing!" he smiled back. I could swear that he wanted to tell me something, but I guess I'd bother him about it next time.

After some coloring activity, we had our recess break. The three of us were enjoying our food - Juan was eating a tuna sandwich that he was trying to show to me earlier, Marcus was enjoying a small apple pie, and I finished my baloney sandwich. We were at the bench at the playground.

"Let's play tag afterwards, okay!" I told them as I sipped on my juice.

We were suddenly approached by some stranger. He was a fox with black sunglasses and well... wearing mostly black. "Hello there, children."

"Umm... hello... mister," Marcus replied, with some nervous feeling in his voice. We were ready to sprint away from this stranger. He looked scary.

* * *

My cellphone rang. "Hello?"

"Wolf!" the other line shouted back with anxiousness. Panther? "Wolf! Hurry! Go to the school! Our kids!"

"What? What happened?" My heart suddenly beat faster.

"They were kidnapped!"

"What?! But how-"

"I don't know how it happened. Just get your butt here! Leon has already called your wife. She'll be heading there as well. I already left work."

"How did you know about this?" I asked again. I was already sprinting to the nearest bus station, with my legs ready to move.

"The news. The teacher contacted the police as soon as it happened, and the news showed it on the monitor."

"All right, I am on my way."

I hung up the cellphone and boarded the bus. As soon as I dropped the fare, I quickly sat on a seat. My heart was thumping. Not my son... No.

"Wolf?"

I looked to my seatmate. It was Fox.


	3. The Crisis

**Wolf Cub**

**Chapter 3 - The Crisis**

For a moment, I thought I would return back to the old Wolf. The old Wolf would not hesitate to throw some insults or try to mock Fox. No, I was not about to do that. I was more worried about my son getting kidnapped.

"Where are you heading?" he asked me. From the way he talked, it seemed like he was anxious about something, and that he was sweaty. I recalled that his son was also in the school with Will. Could it be possible that his boy was kidnapped as well?

"To the kindergarten school my son is attending at," I replied with a calm tone. I didn't want him to feel more rushed. "A kidnapping occurred, and my son got kidnapped, along with others, like Panther's."

"They got Juan too?" he gasped. It seemed that he was also familiar with Panther's son, but I shouldn't be surprised, as Panther used to leave his son to them when he was going to work. "Oh my... Wolf, they got my kid too! His name is Marcus. They showed in the news earlier, and they said that half of the kids were kidnapped. Some were injured. A list of students who were missing showed up, and I saw his name..."

Something bothered me. Wouldn't he notice 'Will O'Donnell' in the list? "Never saw someone with the name O'Donnell in the list?"

"Huh? Oh... Sorry. I was too caught up that I quickly left the moment I saw the list, that I even forgot to notice Panther's son," he answered back with a hasty tone. "Will's the name, right? You... you never show him to us."

I had my reasons. "I don't want him to grow up in my shadow. I don't want him to continue my life. I want him to start in his own," I told him. "While I still hold a grudge against you, I don't want him to carry that grudge. You understand?"

"Wolf..." I could that he didn't. He wouldn't understand me. I had nearly existed as someone who wanted to be on top of him. But I wanted my son to exist on his own ideas - on his own life. I never wanted him to grow up following my footsteps. He deserved a better life.

The bus finally stopped at a stop near the school. We both quickly exited the vehicle and quickly ran to the school. I could see a group of parked police hover-cars and a crowd gathered on the entrance. The fences were ruined by what seemed to be explosives. There was even damage at the structure. Bombs... terrorists? No. What would they want from the children? I was pretty sure that aside from Star Fox, this was just an ordinary kindergarten school for normal, middle-class children.

I scurried from the crowd of policemen and women assisting the crying parents and guardians and aides carrying injured school staff and children. I soon noticed my wife's scent. "Lucy!"

"Wolf!" she cried out. I quickly hugged her, trying to comfort her at my very best. "Why did this happen?! Why our son?! This was supposed to be his first day! His first day shouldn't be like this! He deserves a good memorable experience, and not something like this!"

I wanted to cry too. But it had been built in my system to suck all of my tears and do something. That didn't stop me from feeling heavy inside though. "Don't worry... We'll find him... We'll find him," I spoke back gently, gently tapping her back. We slowly let go, allowing me to rub off the tears from her eyes. "I'm crying inside too... This is our son, and I won't allow anything bad to happen to him..."

My ears caught something.

"What do you mean you have no idea what happened?!" It was Fox, and he was shouting very loudly. "You're the cops! You're supposed to investigate on what happened here!" I decided to approach them once I got Lucy comforted.

"But sir... We're still investigating the situation. They never left any ransom note, blackmails, nothing. No traces."

"Then find one, damn it!"

I might as well go in and check things out. These people weren't pretty much sharp on these things. Besides, no ransom note? I could tell that the kidnappers wanted something more than just money. I had faced people like this before, and I was sure that they would still be leaving traces. "You'll be okay, Lucy? I'm gonna go in and check things out."

"Yes... I'll be fine," she assured me, wiping out her eyes. She wasn't crying anymore, but she still felt depressed.

I looked at her for the last time before nodding and leaving her. I went under the police line, and into the building. The cops looking around at the entrance noticed me though, and warned, "Hey! No one's allowed to go in!"

"He's with me," Fox, who was also accompanied by two other policemen, commanded the cop. "If he wants to look around then don't stop him. His son is missing too." He flipped his wallet, showing his Star Fox insignia. The cop gulped and saluted... finally, he used his authority onto something.

"We need some lead first," I told them. "What time did the children went missing?"

"According to the staff, the missing children got kidnapped exactly as the bombs were triggered," a police answered. "It was during their recess break."

I quickly figured out where to look for important things. After all, wasn't the playground the place where children spend most of their time during recess? I rushed to the playground of the school - or what seemed to be the remains of it. The benches and the recreational stuff had been crushed or dismantled.

"Huh? Why aren't there cops looking for clues here?" I could hear Fox shouting the cops from my back.

I heard one of them respond, "But sir... the area has been destroyed. Acquiring data here would be less successful." Psh... Amateurs.

I quickly scouted and scavenged the area, lifting every piece of debris that lay scattered on the ground. I then stumbled to a bench that was split into two. Something caught my eye there... I turned the bench over, seeing my son's lunch box, along with two others. I could recall the other one as Juan's. I wondered whose lunch box was that.

"Goodness... That's Marcus's," Fox exclaimed. I handed it to him while I held onto the other two. "This is... blood... Oh dear..." He knelt down. I heard him whisper, "_I wish he's safe... Please..._" Blood? I quickly looked at Will's and Juan's lunch box... No blood. Were they able to befriend Marcus, and that he protected them?

"Fox, get up. We still need some searching to do."

"Wolf!"

Panther came running towards us. "Sorry... I was late... Curse these kidnappers!" I handed him his son's lunch box. "This is Juan's..." He held it tightly while closing his eyes. "So... any leads yet?"

"None so far," I told him, feeling his disappointment. "We're trying hard though. Don't worry. These kids are relying on us to rescue them." When I turned around, something cracked the moment I stepped my boot on the ground. I quickly raised my foot and grabbed the thing. "Glasses?" I quickly grabbed the plastic wrap containing my son's sandwich, now eaten, and held it with them so that I wouldn't smudge the eyewear.

"Why would a kid wear a pair of sunglasses?" Panther pointed out. "And look... Adult size. I have a feeling this is from the kidnappers."

Fox looked closely at the eyewear. "Hey, this isn't just ordinary glasses... It's an old brand... It's..." He stopped talking, as if something shocked him. What? Was he familiar with this kind of stuff?

"What? Something the matter?"

"These glasses were phased out many, many years ago," he told us, "and... the only person I know who wore that is my father." Did he just tell us that his father was one of the kidnappers, and that... he was alive?


	4. The Hostages

_Forgive me. I am still in a break from writing. I promise to get back to my other two fanfics - Precious and A Wolf in Fox's Clothing quite soon!_

**Wolf Cub**

**Chapter 4 - The Hostages**

I was scared. There were these people who suddenly put us with blindfolds and made us walk into something! I wanted to get out and cry! I wanted my mom and dad! I wanted to get out of these people! I wanted to run away!

"Hey runt! Shut up and sit down!" someone shouted at me. I felt someone pushed me and forced me to sit onto something. I didn't want to be pushed around like that, but he had a very, very scary voice! I shouldn't be scared though. Dad told me not to be afraid. But he gave me the creeps... I wanted to go home now!

My arms were shaking. Someone... hold me please. I couldn't take this anymore! I then heard Juan cry. Then my other classmates cried. I wanted to cry too... but I remembered dad telling me not to cry unless it involved another person. I then heard one of the strangers say a strange word... Why would he mention 'sheet'?

"Shh... Will... Juan... Stay calm, okay?" I heard Marcus told to us. He was holding our hands tightly. "If we don't let go, we won't be separated from each other, all right?" At least Marcus was beside me. Juan was probably on his other side too. "Just... don't... let... go..."

What was that smell? It didn't smell like air! It was heavy... I was feeling heavy. It had a really strange smell. It didn't smell like mom's perfume... It was more... odd. And... I felt... sleepy. It was so comfortable. But how could I be so comfortable when there were scary people around us? But... I couldn't help but sleep.

Mom... Dad... Help me... Please.

"_Will... Wake up._"

My eyes felt a bit itchy. I yawned for a bit and stretched my arms. It felt like I slept on something hard. I was never used to that. I looked around, and saw Juan and Marcus looking at me. "Hello guys!" I spoke back. Something took my attention though. The whole place... metal crates... some iron bars blocking the door... Were we in a prison? "Wha... where are we?"

"I heard the big people that we're in some abandoned factory," Marcus answered back. "We're kidnapped too... I just wish my dad would know about this. He would come and save us!" What was that again? Oh right, his father was the leader of Star Fox! Of course!

I then looked at Juan, who was still a bit of depressed. "Are you okay, Juan?" He just whimpered. I walked beside him and patted his back. "We'll have our parents get us out of this mess! Don't worry."

"I know... I know papa will," he spoke back, but it sounded like there was something troubling him. "It's just that... Well... I was always alone from the orphanage I came from... and well... I really liked it that papa adopted me. But now... he is away from me... not because of work... I am afraid that I might end up alone..."

Aww... He touched me there. I wouldn't want to think of being separated from my father and mother too. It would be too hard for me... I am just a kid. I wouldn't know what to do! I tried to cheer him up though. "You won't end up alone! And... while I don't want this to happen... if we do get separated from our parents, we still have each other."

"That's true," Marcus nodded. I saw Juan smiling. I saw his fang escaping his mouth. "Well, that's good to see!"

"_Umm... excuse me..._"

I looked at the darkness. I saw someone who seemed to be on our age. He was a raccoon and he was wearing glasses. "Oh? Who are you?"

"Are... Aren't you one of my classmates?" he spoke back with a rather hard-to-hear tone. I did sort of recognize him, but I wasn't able to spend time with my other classmates. "I heard you people were talking about being saved by your parents. I wish my mom and dad could do that... My dad only works at a hover car assembly and my mom works at a restaurant though... Could I ask you guys to save me too?"

I saw Marcus's eyes widened. I wondered why. "Aww... Don't worry! My dad is none other than Fox McCloud! He will come and save us all!" I wondered if my dad would be as awesome like his dad. I was confident though that my dad, Wolf O'Donnell, is also as good.

"Cool!" the raccoon exclaimed. "Oh... My name is Ricky Rogers."

"Marcus McCloud."

"I'm Juan Caroso!"

"And I'm Will O'Donnell!" I promptly responded. He gave a weird look though. "What's the matter?"

"What is your dad's name?" he asked.

"Wolf O'Donnell. Why?" I said back. I was really wondering why everyone was giving me that weird look.

I saw Marcus shaking his head. Was something wrong? "Well... Will... You see..."

Before he could finish though, someone opened the door with iron bars. A very tall, scary leopard man with black sunglasses carrying something, I think dad called it a laser blaster, entered. "You four! Get out of there and follow me!"

We felt some chill running down through our spines. His voice was quite menacing for us. We didn't want to move. We were too scared to move. But then he demonstrated how a laser blaster worked. He fired some shot to the wall, causing some sort of... burn. Now we were even more scared!

"Follow me if you don't want to have a hole in your stomach!"

Eep! We walked forward and followed the man. We wouldn't want to end up having holes at our bellies! But I didn't fret. My dad wouldn't. My mom wouldn't. So I wouldn't. When we got out from the room, we saw the other kids also lined up. I saw some other scary people having the same laser blaster things sitting behind some desk with a computer.

"All right. You lot better listen!" a big rhino shouted to us all. "You tell us your names and then shut up! If you cry, we shoot! If you lie, we shoot!" He pulled something at his blaster, making it give a clanking sound. I gulped... It felt like he wasn't joking.

"_How could they tell if we were lying or not?_" Marcus whispered to me. "_How would they know?_"

"_But... They're scary... It seems like they can read our minds!_" I whispered back.

The lines moved. After a classmate of mine said his or her name, the people would type something on their computer and talk gibberish, asking about who were their parents and how much money or stuff they have. We were hostages after all.

I was at the front. "Name, kid," asked the fox wearing eyeglasses who seemed old. "Don't worry... We won't hurt you if you cooperate." Huh? His voice... it felt quite... gentle.

"W-Will... Will O'Donnell," I replied. He raised his eyebrows. Suddenly, the tall people were whispering and making some noises. Why? "Huh?"

"Oh... I see," the old fox told me. "All right, take him back." It still bothered me why they were wondering about my name. It was the same like when we had a class roll-call.

When I was walking back, I heard Marcus say his name. "My name is Marcus McCloud... Son of Star Fox!" he proclaimed. I turned around, and saw the old fox's eyes opened out.


	5. The Ransom

_**Note**__: Again, I am still in a writer's break (especially with a research paper to finish... ugh...). I will update Precious (way overdue, I know) and A Wolf in Fox's Clothing soon._

**Wolf Cub**

**Chapter 5 - The Ransom**

The idea of Fox's father being the kidnapper crossed my thoughts after seeing that pair of eyewear. That would be rather unbelievable though. Fox's father, James, was dead, and even if he was alive, he wouldn't resort to this. No, not the James I knew - the one that I looked up to. He was a hero for everyone... He was a hero for me.

I had to get moving though. There was no point pondering about it. "So Fox, what's the next step?"

"I had the police investigate it," he answered. His face was filled with disappointment. "I... I... I don't know what to think."

"Don't think about it... I am pretty sure it's not your father... He's..." I stopped talking when he closed his eyes. "Well... Just don't think about it." It was too much tension for him, I guess. His son just got kidnapped and now some evidence that we found seemed like it was related to his father. If I was in his place I would feel uneasy as well...

I approached Lucy once I figured out that there was nothing to do there. To my surprise, another person was there. "G-g-general Peppy," I saluted.

"Now, now, there's no need to do that, son," he eased me. I wasn't still used though. "I told you, you can call me pops!" He was still the general after all - the father of the woman I married. He helped me get a life outside of the dangerous realm of mercs-for-sale. He was the one who gave Leon and Panther jobs and even offered me one, although I declined. He was the one who helped Panther get papers and permission to adopt Juan. I was surprised at first, but I realized how caring he was to those he had already considered friends. "Any news on the children?" I simply shook my head. "Oh dear. I'll have the authorities do a thorough investigation on this. I will even have to declare an all-out warning in the city if needed!"

"But dad," Lucy suddenly reacted, "if you make an announcement like that, the kidnappers would know that one of the hostages is your grandchild. That would make the situation a lot worse." She was right. Aside from close friends, no one knew Lucy was married to me. The marriage wasn't made public according to my and Lucy's wishes. No one would think that Will Hare O'Donnell would be linked to General Peppy unless asked. If anything, people would immediately see me from our child.

"I know," pops, as he requested to be called, answered. "I know the danger, that's why I won't specifically be saying that one of them is my grandson. Granted, they will think that I will be making this widespread search because one of kidnapped children is Fox's and Krystal's son, but still, they won't know that one of the children kidnapped is a relative of mine."

"He has a point," I assured her. "If this will help us find our son, then I wouldn't oppose the idea."

"General!"

Fox came running behind pops, panting. "Peppy... I'm so glad you came!"

"I have to. This is something urgent. Your son and theirs... Still no news?"

"No... Although there is one." Right. I forgot to tell pops about the glasses we found. Two cops followed Fox and one was holding a plastic bag containing the glasses that we found. He took it and showed it to pops. "This thing, Peppy. Looks familiar?"

Pop's eyes grew wide. He took it and analyzed it keenly. Just as I thought, he would think that it would be like James'. "No... This is impossible. As far as I know, the company that makes these glasses have been shut down many years ago, that back then, the only person I knew wearing this was him... How can it be?"

"I thought so too, pops," I answered back. "I mean... He's well... pushing the daisies... And even if he's still alive, I don't think someone like him would kidnap children! I don't believe that he could do such a thing!" They both looked at me with a curious look, as if I did something surprising. I didn't do anything strange at all though. "Why? What's the matter?"

"Nothing... It's just that, I've never seen you so... supportive about my father," Fox commented. It was true - with all the tension building up, especially on the idea that one of the kidnappers might be James, I couldn't hold it back anymore. James was a hero to me. I mean, which kid during my time wasn't looking up at him? He was considered a legend by anyone - a very-skilled pilot. He was the one who inspired me on becoming a pilot. One of the reasons why my rivalry with Fox existed was to prove myself that I could be like him. Heck, back then, I suggested to Lucy to name our child James, but I realized that Fox deserved that honor... Now that I think about it, I should have told my son stories about him... I guess I was afraid that Will might ask who James was... and he might get interested in Star Fox.

"Well, it doesn't matter. Who doesn't know James, anyway?" pops added. He smiled for a bit after looking at me. He did know that I was a fan of James after all. It was one of those father-in-law-son-in-law bonding moments when I blurted out my secret, I was sorta drunk back then anyway, while pops seemed to be resistant to alcohol, no matter how much he drank. "Anyway, I am not sure if this gives us progress or not. If anything, the kidnappers might want to think us that James is with them. This could be fake, even!"

"That's why it's best to leave it to the police to analyze whether the thing is fake or not," Lucy suggested. "We should just look around for more clues, or wait for development..." I placed my arm on the back of her shoulder so that she wouldn't feel worried. "Wolf... I'm just... worried."

"Don't worry."

Panther suddenly came running towards us. "Guys, hurry! The kidnapped kids! They're here!"

I was shocked. No, we were all shocked. We quickly followed him along with the other cops to the other side of the street. "There!" I yelled. I saw a group of children whimpering and crying in an alley. However, I felt nervous though, as my nose didn't pick up a familiar scent. How I wished my nose was lying.

The police had the children quickly taken care off. The parents gathered and collected their child from the crying group. However, much to my fear, we didn't see Will. No... Why would they want with Will? Oh my... Why had I completely forgotten about it!

"No! Will's not with them!" Lucy cried out. I quickly placed my arms around her to calm her down, but deep inside I too wanted to cry. He wasn't there. He just wasn't there.

"So is Juan," Panther sighed, punching a nearby van in the process. "What do they want with them? They're just children!"

"Well, our reputation precedes us," I calmly told him. "They still bear the names O'Donnell and Caroso. I think some of the kidnappers have a grudge against us."

"No... I don't think it's one of your bounties, because my son is still missing," Fox told us. I could see his fist shaking. "What do they want with our kids? It's not like we're rich!"

When I thought it would be hopeless, a goat kid came towards us. "Umm... Mister?" she shyly asked in front of me. "I was told to give this to a grey wolf with a mark on his left eye or to Mr. Star Fox... You!" She pointed out Fox, who was beside me. She handed out a piece of folded paper, which we both took. "Umm... it was from a scary man's voice. I didn't see his face though. We were covered." She then trotted away towards her mother.

"Ransom?" Lucy nervously asked. I hoped that it wasn't.

When we both unfolded the thing, we were surprised to see something - it had one large J written on it along with some details.


	6. The Truth

**Wolf Cub**

**Chapter 6 - The Truth**

"Will... Please don't cry... "

But I wanted to! Everyone was taken away except me, Marcus, Juan, and our new friend Ricky. I thought we were going back home earlier! When everyone was leaving, I thought we would go back with our mommies and daddies... But why did they leave us?

"Will... Oh... Oh no! Juan, don't cry!"

"But... I miss papa! Wah!"

"D-don't cry please... I... I wanna cry too!"

We three cried. We miss our parents! I realized though that Ricky wasn't crying with us. I sorta stopped crying afterwards, because I really didn't want to look like a crybaby in front of him. As what dad said, "Other people don't want to see you like a crybaby!"

"D-don't worry. I'm sure your dads will save us."

Suddenly, the door of our room opened. We saw a tall fox with some people holding some weapons behind him. He was carrying a tray full of... FOOD! Gosh... We were so sad that we had forgotten our bellies! I was so hungry... My stomach was grumbling... and the food was FISH! It was like, my second most favorite food!

"Hey kids, dig in!" the big man said. For some odd reason I wanted to believe him.

"N-no! We wouldn't dare eat that!" Marcus shouted at him. He was trying to be brave for us... How nice of him! "We're not sure if it's safe! Dad even told me that I shouldn't accept food from strangers, and you certainly are a stranger to us!"

The big fox with sunglasses was very strange. He simply laughed and shook his head. "Of course. He would tell you that. He is Star Fox after all. But still, there is little for you to worry about. The food is safe to eat – no strings attached. You'll need your nourishment after all."

"B-but we want to go home!" I suddenly whimpered. I wasn't sure whether it was a good idea to do that, but it came out of me. "Why didn't you let us go with our classmates?"

The big fox just patted my hair. "Don't worry, little wolf. If things go according to plan, you'll be back with your parents." His stare didn't leave me though. He looked at me as if he was trying to... uhh... scan my brain or something. "Say, who is your mother?"

"M-m-my mom?"

Dad once told me before that I should not tell to strangers about my mom – I should not tell that I was related to Grampa Peppy, the General of the Cornerian Defense Force. He told me that I should tell them instead that my mom was "Lucy White". When I asked dad why, he simply giggled and said something about how mom and him had some special time together during a white snowy day... I couldn't understand though... my birthday was around nine months after winter after all. Maybe it was something private?

"L-Lucy W-White... uh... sir," I lied.

"Oh... I see," he mumbled. Although I did hear him say, "Probably some woman he banged." What did he mean by 'banged' though? "Well, see you later, kids. Don't worry. You won't have to suffer any more. Just endure it for now." They left and locked us again.

Marcus then declared, "Don't touch the food, guys!"

Aww... too late! Ricky and Juan were already eating the fish. My stomach was hungry too, so I decided to join them as well.

"Guys, why are you eating that!" I heard his stomach grumbling, so I tossed him a piece of the fillet as well.

"Well, the tall fox person seems nice," I told him. "I think it felt like... he was being forced or something."

"That doesn't excuse him for treating us like this though!" Marcus angrily said.

"Yeah, it is weird," I wondered. However, what made me wonder more though was their 'interest' in me and Marcus. When we told our names when we were asked of our names, the tall people as well as that fox person were quite surprised. I asked the guys about it.

"I think it's because Marcus's dad is Star Fox right?" Ricky answered.

"Well, what about mine?" I asked again.

"You... you really don't know, do you?" Marcus told me. "You and Juan don't know right?"

"Well, my papa always told me how he was a daring space adventurer before he took me in," Juan answered. "He said that he was like a space drifter."

"But... what do you mean, Marcus?"

"I... Well, promise me that you two wouldn't get mad at me, okay?" Marcus seemed to be taking a breath. Was it something difficult to say? Why would Juan and I get mad at him? "You see... Your dad, Wolf O'Donnell, was once a criminal. He worked with the bad guys in the old Lylat Wars... Well, he was paid, but still, he worked for the enemy. I think they were called Star Wolf. They were made up of four – Wolf, Leon, Andrew, and Pigma." What? Dad and Uncle Leon were... evil people?!

"You're joking... right? My dad isn't evil, and so is Uncle Leon!" I argued back. "Who are these Andrew and Pigma anyway? And the textbooks don't even mention them!"

"Well you see, they weren't really that important to be mentioned, as they were just seen as typical soldiers. But my dad... well... told me stories about them. I think that should explain why your dad has some eyepatch." No way... I couldn't believe that!

"B-but what has that got to do with me?" Juan asked, feeling a bit nervous.

"Your dad, well, he was technically a space drifter, but he allied himself to Star Wolf," Marcus continued. "And my dad said that Krystal and Mr. Caroso were once close people..." I didn't want to listen anymore!

Juan patted my shoulder. "Um... Well, at least that explains why your dad and my papa are quite close... and how I tend to stay with the McClouds when papa goes to work..."

"Yeah... but dad... dad... dad... never mentioned any of this to me!"

I just stuck myself at a corner of the room, thinking hard on why my dad would lie to me about his past – he just told me that he was some pilot who fell in love with my mother...


	7. The Past

**Wolf Cub**

**Chapter 7 - The Past**

"Wolf… I'm scared... for our boy…"

"I'm scared too… but don't worry, we'll save him…"

I wrapped my left arm around her right shoulder and began to embrace her. I could feel her sorrow from her fur. I too felt disappointed and worried… My son was in trouble, and I couldn't do anything to save him right now…

I remembered that I made a vow to Lucy in front of the Fountain. In fact… I remembered how we ended up together, and how our odd pairing ended up in a rather fun adventure, with Will as our prize.

-

We got a mission back then from a client who called himself "Rabbit P". We were supposed to protect a science vessel ship while disguised as uniformed guards, much to Leon's discomfort. I thought it was just some sort of undercover mission at first, until I saw the vehicle itself. It was a government vehicle - Cornerian Defense Force brand… I guessed our client knew that the military was a bit "distrustful" on hired mercenaries. We were able to manage by changing our looks as well.

Panther then saw a white female rabbit leading a bunch of teens. I never thought of civilians being inside a military craft until Panther himself asked the rabbit.

"Pardon me, o beautiful lady, but I would like to know why you're in this ship."

"Oh umm… I'm taking my class for a tour on how a typical science vessel works in space," she replied. Her view slowly crawled to me, probably because of my eyepatch. When I glanced back, she looked away… She was rather radiant-looking for a professor.

Leon told me that space pirates would attack this vessel. I recalled that the Anglar invasion pretty much ruined the military force, thus reducing the defenses of the ship. It wasn't long before what he told me came true - a small group made an attack. They were hiding from an asteroid field.

We three quickly boarded our Wolfens which were disguised as personal guard ships. My team was surprised - there had been bounties of us, apparently set up some of our weaker bounty hunter rivals. However, it was probably good - that would distract them from shooting the vessel… I wasn't really a fan of hurting civilians.

The pirates were easy to deal with. Our only trouble was those space rocks. However, one pirate ship exploded near me. The explosion pushed my ship to an asteroid, crashing me. My memory was quite blurry by then, but according to Leon they rescued me and took me to the sick bay.

My eyes were quite blurry then, but I could feel a caressing stroke on my bandaged wounds. I felt the white rabbit's palms striking my fur gently.

"You protected us, mister… Thanks."

"It's my job…"

"Well, at least I should know your names."

I was about to say no but Panther blurted out, "I'm Panther Caroso, milady."

"Panther Ca-… You mean to say…"

Well, I thought that we would be kicked out of the science vessel. I quickly stood up but a nearby medic told me to stay still.

"Well… this is new… Hospitality to space drifters…"

"Well, you just saved our lives, mister… Wolf O'Donnell, isn't it?" the rabbit calmly spoke. "It would be rude for you to be kicked out right?" The medic and even the guards agreed for us to stay until the end of the trip.

"And what's your name, miss?" Leon suddenly asked.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?" she smiled. One of the guards told her not to tell her full name, but she disagreed. "I could tell that I can trust these men… It's an odd feeling, really." I wondered what was so special about her… until she told us her name. "My name is Lucy Hare."

The three of us gasped. She was a daughter of Peppy? No one knew Peppy had a daughter… Thinking back… it all fitted. We told her that our client was "Rabbit P"… Peppy Hare. At first it made me wonder why he hadn't sent Star Fox instead of us, when I realized that Star Fox had again broken up with Falco leaving and Slippy in vacation. But then, didn't he worry that we could use this information for our own needs?

I spent some time in the sick bay. Lucy was the one who visited me a lot aside from my team and the occasional medic. My wounds were many but not severe, after all. Lucy kept me company, much to Panther's recommendation. During the times when we were together… I could feel something missing inside me.

Let's just say that… she soon became more familiar to me. Before leaving, I asked her number. I soon began adding her to my schedules, letting Leon take the lead for a while. It was weird - it was my first time becoming comfortable outside the adventurous and dangerous realm of space skirmish. We watched movies that to my surprise I found enjoyable, eat together, and even enjoyed the starry sky. She didn't mind my history or my eye.

I was surprised when Peppy, in his casual, non-uniform clothing, suddenly appeared when I was in front of Lucy's doorstep. It was my first time seeing Peppy in his "ultimate father" form - it was very different from his "father figure" form towards Fox. He did give one heck of a pep-talk about responsibilities, his daughter, and… good gracious… grandchildren. I joked about something involving a barrel-roll and a bed but I seemed to make him angrier.

In the end, I decided to end my career as Star Wolf. I realized how much I became close to Lucy - I spent more time with her than the team since we met. Much to my surprise, Leon and Panther quit too, and with the help of Peppy's "influence", the two were able to land a job at Corneria. As for me… I decided not to get a job and stayed home as a house-husband. It was weird… former feared Star Wolf leader a house-husband…

We finally got married. We intertwined our lives in front of the Fountain. We got little visitors though - keeping Lucy's profile low was a must. It was then I vowed that I wouldn't make Lucy cry and promise to make our child happy… if we ever have one… and we did.

When Will was born, we were both happy. We finally found our treasure… I finally felt how a father would feel. It was a beginning of a new adventure.

-

"Lucy," I whispered to her, "I will save our child."

"I know, Wolf. I know." She hugged me and returned it.

Something still bothered me though - why was James involved here? It wasn't like him. That wasn't how I recalled him.


	8. The Hope

_Blame schoolwork for the lack of updates. _

**Wolf Cub**

**Chapter 8 - The Hope**

I cried to a corner. I couldn't help it. I couldn't believe that my dad was a bad guy. He never told me that. He just said that he wasn't a respectable person, but I knew he was still a good person. I just couldn't believe that he, Uncle Leon and Uncle Panther were space criminals! All I could do now was to cry...

"Will... come on, buddy, don't think about it much," Juan whispered to me. I began to think why it didn't bother him about what Marcus told him. "Just... forget what Marcus told you, okay?"

I had to ask him. "But... Juan... why are you a bit... calm about this? You don't seem to be bothered at all. I mean, you too were surprised about what Marcus told you about it."

"Well, my papa... told me that he was some sort of... daring adventurer back then. He said that he wasn't someone the law would like. I thought he was some sort of bounty hunter or something, but..." Well, at least his dad was honest. I simply pouted more, leaning myself to the cell wall. "Will?"

How come dad never told me about this? I mean, at least Uncle Panther did hint his son that he was something before - something undesirable. But my dad never told me that he was a criminal. He lied to me... his son! Now I wondered if mom also knew about this... I felt Juan's palm leaving me. For the first time, I never felt more comfortable - I dunno why, but... It felt good hugging the corner, having no one touching my fur.

"Will..."

A calm voice struck my ear. It was Marcus's. But... of all the people I'd like to hear, it would be him. "Will... It... I didn't... I didn't really..."

"Sh-shu..." I tried to speak out. For some strange feeling, there was this emotion in my growing. I wanted to release it. "Sh-sh-sh... SHUT UP, MARCUS!" I held his collar tightly, with all of my feelings pent up to my hand. I wanted to do something to him. I wanted to hit him hard. I swung my fist towards his face. I saw his eyes shocked on what I was doing. It felt... good.

"WILL!"

Juan's, Marcus's and Ricky's voices became silent. I couldn't hear them. All I could hear was someone saying that I should hit the fox's cheek with my hand. But then...

"_Will, remember - I don't want you punching other kids irresponsibly, okay? That doesn't mean I'm forbidding you to punch though. I just want you to be responsible for your actions._"

My dad told me to be responsible. That, at least felt real. I breathed, controlling myself. I let go of the collar, and walked back to the wall, and simply focused at myself. I thought about what my dad said to me all those years before.

"Will... I'm sorry."

I ignored him. The company of the wall was a lot better... I began to think hard about the things that father said to me. After that thing he told me about responsibility... it felt real - it felt like he was true to himself back then. But what about the other things he told me? Were they lies too? In fact... was it a lie that he loves mom?

"Will... Snap out of it!"

I wanted to tell them to keep quiet. I wanted to be alone, although I was tired of standing up again. I rested head once more on the wall, simply feeling the random mumbling of the various strangers having guns. However, I heard a peculiar voice... the old fox who was the head of the gang. Eavesdropping was bad, but I was doing this for our own good. Being responsible...

"_So, how are things going there?_"

"_Yes, just as you said, Mr. Oikonny. I kept McCloud's son, the two children of Star Wolf, and a kid for insurance._"

Mister... Oikonny? The only Oikonny I know of is Andross Oikonny, who once tried to take over Lylat, but Star Fox stopped him. And this guy also knew about my dad and Uncle Panther's past... How come I was the only one who was clueless about it? Still, I had no time to mope around.

"_Good. And how about the ransom?_"

"_The note for the ion generator weapon has been sent. I am pretty sure Peppy wouldn't hesitate once he learns that Fox's son is in jeopardy._"

Ion generator... weapon? What were they up to? Wait a minute... were these people... terrorists?! He knew how Star Fox was well-connected with Grampa Peppy. Oh my... I shouldn't... lose myself. Breathe... Will... breathe...

"_Still... I want to ask something..._"

"_What is it?_"

"_Why do you want the two children of former Star Wolf members? They aren't part of your grand scheme of taking down Star Fox..._"

"_It's just a simple manner of revenge. They didn't come when I asked their support. And they somehow 'dropped' me out of their gang. It's just a way to show how much I wanted to kill them._"

Who... who was this person? Getting revenge on my father... and Uncle Panther? Why would he have a motive like that?

"_Andrew... please. They're just children. They don't deserve this._"

"_And so does Marcus, James. So if I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut. I brought you back to your feet, and I could easily take your life away with one flick of a switch._"

Andrew... Andrew... The man seemed to be close in relationship with Star Wolf... this Andrew must be the one Marcus was saying earlier... but his last name... Oikonny? That... in some form, he was related to Andross... If... that's the case... No way, I couldn't believe it! My dad once worked for Andross?! He was considered the most evil person to ever live in Lylat - and yet my dad was connected to him?!

I was so steamed up that it took me a while to calm down. I began to breathe slowly once more. Calm... Cool... I shouldn't lose myself. Why was this James character so keen in taking care of our safety? It seemed like he was pressured... the last thing Mr. Oikonny said was that he could "take away his life". Still, why was he more protective towards Marcus?

I stood up, looked at the three - Juan, Marcus, and Ricky - and nodded. I was a bit angry to them earlier, and now that I had cooled off after hearing some information, I decided to accept it. If anyone's at fault here, it would be my dad - he lied to me. I... I couldn't forgive him for that.

"Sorry... Everyone..."

"Will, it's okay. I know it's difficult for you," Marcus spoke to me in a soothing voice. "I didn't mean any harm. I just thought that... well..."

"Guys, it's okay," I prepped up. "I have important things to say - apparently, these people wanted something from the Cornerian Defense Force - a weapon - and a way to get them was through us. They are gonna use us on some ransom deal!"

"Oh, I wish dad was here!" Marcus grumbled.

Before I could tell more though, our cell door opened up, and the old fox - James - came in. Now that I think about it, he did look like Mr. Fox McCloud... Wait a minute... James... Fox... Marcus... A connection...

"Huh? Is something wrong, child?"

Mr. James McCloud, hailed hero of Lylat, was just talking to me.


End file.
